FBI Cuts Ties With SPLC and ADL After Conservative Complaints/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau is cutting ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) after conservative criticism of the groups’ extremism monitoring. Patel accused the SPLC of partisan bias and faulted the ADL’s past activities. The decision marks a major shift in how the FBI engages with civil rights watchdogs on hate and extremism.
FBI Watchdog Break: Quick Looks
- FBI Director Kash Patel ends ties with SPLC and ADL.
- SPLC criticized for partisan “hate map” labeling right-wing groups.
- ADL faulted for “Glossary of Extremism,” now discontinued.
- Decision follows conservative backlash after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
- Elon Musk and others slammed SPLC reports on Turning Point USA.
- ADL and SPLC historically provided data, training, and research to FBI.
- Patel accuses groups of acting as political fronts.
- ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt stresses renewed focus on fighting antisemitism.
FBI Cuts Ties With SPLC and ADL After Conservative Complaints
Deep Look
WASHINGTON — In a move reshaping decades of FBI cooperation with civil rights watchdogs, Director Kash Patel announced Friday that the bureau will no longer work with the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) or the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
Patel said the SPLC had become a “partisan smear machine”, citing its use of a controversial “hate map” that lists alleged extremist and anti-government groups. Earlier this week, Patel also confirmed the FBI was ending ties with the ADL, accusing the group of overstepping in past collaborations.
Conservative Complaints Drive Break
The decision follows growing conservative criticism of both organizations. The SPLC in particular has faced backlash for labeling Turning Point USA, founded by slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as part of the “hard right” in its 2024 extremism report.
Figures on the right, including Elon Musk, sharply criticized the SPLC’s characterizations. Patel echoed those critiques, arguing the group had lost credibility.
“This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs,” Patel wrote on X, while sharing a Fox News article on the split.
SPLC Response
The SPLC, founded in 1971 to fight racial injustice and extremism, did not directly address Patel’s accusations but defended its mission:
“We remain committed to exposing hate and extremism as we work to equip communities with knowledge and defend the rights and safety of marginalized people,” the group said in a statement.
ADL’s Changing Role
The ADL, established in 1913 to combat antisemitism, has long partnered with the FBI on training, research, and awards recognizing agents fighting hate crimes. However, its “Glossary of Extremism” faced criticism for including entries that some conservatives said unfairly targeted right-wing movements.
The ADL said this week it was discontinuing the glossary, acknowledging some entries were outdated and had been misused.
Despite Patel’s criticism, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt reaffirmed the group’s respect for the FBI and vowed to continue its mission:
“In light of an unprecedented surge of antisemitism, we remain more committed than ever to our core purpose to protect the Jewish people.”
Historic Partnerships Dismantled
For decades, the FBI leaned on the SPLC and ADL for extremism data, community outreach, and officer training. Former FBI Director James Comey praised the ADL in 2017, saying:
“For more than 100 years, you have advocated and fought for fairness and equality.”
Patel mocked those remarks this week, noting Comey’s indictment on unrelated charges and accusing him of embedding FBI agents with “a group that spied on Americans.”
What Comes Next
The FBI has not announced new partners to replace the SPLC and ADL. Critics warn the move could leave the bureau less informed about rising hate crimes and extremist threats at a time of heightened political violence.
For Patel, however, the decision signals a broader realignment of the FBI’s approach under Trump’s second administration — one that distances the agency from groups conservatives see as hostile to their causes.
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